Best Joke Teller Contest Finalists

Casey Campbell vs Alec Sobel

http://www.makeastar.com/contest.asp?rContestId=7670






Casey Campbell "Bike Cop"
Casey Campbell is a student at Cal Poly SLO as well as a stand up comedian and comedy writer. Some of his work can be seen at http://www.collegehumor.com/user:1931879

Alec Sobel "Sorority Girls are Illogical"
Alec Sobel’s standup is high energy mixing with sarcasm. Alec’s unique comedy has won many contests. Alec is the first and only comedian to ever win two comedy contests on if.net. This past November, Alec won first place in if.net’s Standup Comedy for Peace Contest. As part of the prize, Alec was flown from New York to Los Angeles to perform in the historic 2,000 seat Los Angeles Theater.

Then again in February, Alec won another contest with if.net with a different video entry and was flown to Mississippi to perform as part of the Steve Brown Comedy Tour.
Also more recently in May, Alec won first place in a comedy contest at Suffolk Bar in Lower East Side Manhattan. As well as second place in Makeastar.com’s online Open Mike Contest.

Plus, clips of Alec’s comedy have aired on multiple radio stations including Brooklyn’s WKRB 90.3FM, Comedy Pipe Radio, Star 104 Internet Radio, and Demented Radio. Also his standup has aired on Connecticut’s JcT television which aired internationally to millions of viewers. Additionally he performed standup on Manhattan Neighborhood Network Channel 56’s Block Party Program.

Alec was part of the Hijinx Comedy Tour which hit many cities over the east coast in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. He headlined many of these shows with hour long sets. In addition to road work, Alec is a regular performer at comedy clubs all over the tri-state area including Banana’s Comedy Clubs in Hasbrouck Heights NJ and Poughkeepsie NY, the Sage Theater in Times Square, Village Lantern, Club Europa, and Broadway Comedy Club. Additionally he frequently performs at private party gigs and colleges. Alec was also a member of Gotham Comedy Club’s Improv Comedy Troupe in New York City.

Alec finds humor everywhere. As a social commentator, he has razor sharp insights into America’s lazy apathetic youth, fashion, dating, the differences between the sexes, television shows, and comparing modern music to the great rock legends of the 1960’s. http://alecsobel.com/

Best Music Video Finalists

Mahoney "Turn Off the Lights and Turn On the Stereo" vs 12th Avenue "Over The Edge"





Official Music Video for "Turn Off the Lights and Turn On the Stereo" by Mahoney. Chris Martin - Guitar, Vocals Chris Phillips - Drums, Vocals http://www.mahoneyband.com/ http://www.myspace.com/mahoneymusic Director/Producer/Editor: Marty Stano DP: Chris Miller Cam-Op: Ryan Tamaroff Produced at the University of Michigan

12th Avenue is a 4-piece Rock band consisting of Mark Haze (vocals/guitar), Conrad Whiley (guitar), Stanley Hill (bass) and Gareth Haze (drums). Hailing from Cape Town, SA, the band has earned a reputation for being one of the hardest working, and most energetic and entertaining live acts in the country. The band has just released "Sober", the third and final chapter in the "Crazy" trilogy, which tells the story of two fictional characters "Anjee" and "12". The album was recorded at LMX Studios in Constantia, Cape Town, SA and it was produced by Canadian Producer, Moon, who also produced the band's past two albums, "Crazy" and "Insane". "Sober" was released through Musketeer Records, who are also Seether's distribution label in South Africa. 12th Avenue had the honour of supporting Seether on all the dates of their Homecoming SA Tour in June 2008, playing to over 20 000 people over 4 nights. 12th Avenue has also headlined at some of SA’s top live music venues, including Mercury Live and Lounge, CT; Tempos, JHB; Roxy Rhythm Bar, JHB; Burn, Durban; Zeplins, PTA; The Blues Room, JHB and many more. 12th Avenue has achieved great success with the single "Crazy", which maintained the Number One position on the Hi 5 @ 5 on 5FM for six consecutive weeks in 2006. The EP "Crazy" was also voted "Album of the Year" by zazone.com in the same year. The band's single, "Living in my Life" off the album "Insane", also achieved the Number One spot on 5FM's Hi 5 @ 5 and stayed on the chart for almost four months. 12th Avenue's latest single "Time Bomb" is currently tearing up radio waves across SA, achieving Number One on Rhodes Radio, with the single’s music video receiving airplay on DSTV music station, MK. The band plan to release the follow-up single in winter 2009.

Best Song Female Vocalist Finalists

Corrin Campbell (Belcamp, Maryland) "When It Rains" vs Tenaj (Los Angeles, California) "What's Your Status"

http://www.makeastar.com/match.asp?rTabSlct=2&rContestID=7688&rMatchName=Match&rMatchType=Final&rJcnt=0&rIsFreejudge=

Corrin Campbell :

Corrin is a strong yet charming frontwoman who writes all her own songs. She is a skilled musician and plays bass, keys and sings her material. A combat veteran of the US Army, Corrin is a passionate, charismatic person. She is currently recording a new album for release in November 09.

Tenaj :

My first single, “What's your Status”, will be released January 2009. Ever since the release of my single I have been performing all around Los Angeles. Also I was a principal in a Trailer called “The living live of a supermodel” Got on the Cover of LAX Magazine. Released my Calendar. Posed for Playboy (UPSSS LOL) Now I'm working on my first Music Video ever. It will be out this Fall 2009. Did some modeling for www.Pancaldities.com, Live taping for Neshia's Radio Show in Burbank CA. Performing at “The Rhythm Lounge” Long Beach. My 2nd single will be released end of 2009.

Best Song Male Vocalist Finalists

ISADAR (New York, New York) "To Be In Love"

Isadar, based out of New York City, is a one-man-band focusing on studio performances and creating visual media (i.e. music videos) to entertain. Written by F.I. Thibodeaux / Mainya Music Publishing (BMI) Produced by Isadar (www.isadar.com)

Charlee Drew (Leicester, United Kingdom) "Sugar Rush"

Written and performed by Charlee Drew, for his debut album, set for release 2010!

http://www.makeastar.com/contest.asp?rContestId=7687

Best Music Video 6 Semi Finals

The 6th $100 Best Music Video Contest is now in the semi finals on www.MakeAStar.com


http://www.makeastar.com/contest.asp?rContestId=7684


The second semi final match pits Cape Town, South Africa rock band 12th Avenue up against Los Angeles rap artist Sincere.






Here is the biography for 12th Avenue and their video for 'Over The Edge':
12th Avenue is a 4-piece Rock band consisting of Mark Haze (vocals/guitar), Conrad Whiley (guitar), Stanley Hill (bass) and Gareth Haze (drums). Hailing from Cape Town, SA, the band has earned a reputation for being one of the hardest working, and most energetic and entertaining live acts in the country. The band has just released "Sober", the third and final chapter in the "Crazy" trilogy, which tells the story of two fictional characters "Anjee" and "12". The album was recorded at LMX Studios in Constantia, Cape Town, SA and it was produced by Canadian Producer, Moon, who also produced the band's past two albums, "Crazy" and "Insane". "Sober" was released through Musketeer Records, who are also Seether's distribution label in South Africa. 12th Avenue had the honour of supporting Seether on all the dates of their Homecoming SA Tour in June 2008, playing to over 20 000 people over 4 nights. 12th Avenue has also headlined at some of SA’s top live music venues, including Mercury Live and Lounge, CT; Tempos, JHB; Roxy Rhythm Bar, JHB; Burn, Durban; Zeplins, PTA; The Blues Room, JHB and many more. 12th Avenue has achieved great success with the single "Crazy", which maintained the Number One position on the Hi 5 @ 5 on 5FM for six consecutive weeks in 2006. The EP "Crazy" was also voted "Album of the Year" by zazone.com in the same year. The band's single, "Living in my Life" off the album "Insane", also achieved the Number One spot on 5FM's Hi 5 @ 5 and stayed on the chart for almost four months. 12th Avenue's latest single "Time Bomb" is currently tearing up radio waves across SA, achieving Number One on Rhodes Radio, with the single’s music video receiving airplay on DSTV music station, MK. The band plan to release the follow-up single in winter 2009.


Here is the biography for Los Angeles Rap artist Sincere and his video for 'Never Say':
Rapper/singer Sincere began working at his craft when he was only 8 years-old, emulating his older family members with his own style of rap to impress his friends. He’s made a name for himself with his freeform, unrehearsed style, and has also gained attention from a few of his songs with samples of well-known mainstream rock and pop songs. It’s not every hip hop song that features an intro to a Journey song or the acoustic guitar part from an Avril Lavigne track. In the recording studio, he is known to just step in front of the microphone and let the words flow, with no rehearsal, hesitation or preconceived notion. He won’t name inspirations, compare himself to anyone or go out of his way to explain who he is. He chooses to let his music speak for him. "That’s the best form of creativity: just take it as it comes," says Sincere, 23, from Southern California. "Somebody had an Avril Lavigne song on their MySpace page and I was like hmm, let me see if I can find something that I can sample on Avril Lavigne. I saw the title of "Things I’ll Never Say," clicked on it, and it was a great song. It was perfect, and exactly how I wanted to use it." The finished product became "Never Say," his own track expressing himself about the things he never said to a loved one. Extremely passionate about music, Sincere sees himself as humble, passionate yet very strong, and wants to appeal to "all shapes of life." "You can just tell that I love music," he says. "Music is every shade of life, from anger to happiness, happiness to sadness. Some songs you already have it and it just flows. I just take it as it comes." His music will appear on an upcoming commercial for eBay and on a DVD import later this year.

Best Music Video 6 Semi Finals

The 6th $100 Best Music Video Contest is now in the semi finals on www.MakeAStar.com




http://www.makeastar.com/contest.asp?rContestId=7684




The first semi final Best Music Video match sees Beverly, Massachusetts band TC go up against Ann Arbor, Michigan band Mahoney.








Here is the biography for TC's video 'Real World':




A Storyboard of The First Full MUSIC VIDEO from my TV ROCK MUSICAL: "The Continuum (An Interview with Aether)" LOGLINE: A surprise extraterrestrial guest intervenes on a talk show and sheds “truer light” on Earth’s past, present and future events, using dazzling musical video vignettes to incite our awareness, redirect the chaos and put the human race back on course. The songs are the butterflies… REAL WORLD THEME: Fantasy is great, but con only be manufactured with reality. We should embrace reality complete with its fears, chance and human compassion.




Here is the biography for the Mahoney video for 'Turn Off the Lights and Turn On the Stereo':




Official Music Video for "Turn Off the Lights and Turn On the Stereo" by Mahoney. Chris Martin - Guitar, Vocals Chris Phillips - Drums, Vocals http://www.mahoneyband.com/ http://www.myspace.com/mahoneymusic Director/Producer/Editor: Marty Stano DP: Chris Miller Cam-Op: Ryan Tamaroff Produced at the University of Michigan

Cole Alexander, Eireann O'Day Win Best Song Contests

The second Best Song – Male Vocalist and Best Song - Female Vocalist competitions wrapped up this week, awarding $50 cash prizes to Cole Alexander and Eireann O’Day for their victories in the bracket contests.




From the New England city of Providence, Rhode Island comes Cole Alexander, with a mellow acoustic sound that impressed the judges and brought in a legion of Rhode Island fans who cast their votes for his song ‘White Flag’.




The competition wasn’t easy, as Cole was up against Mark Radice, a seasoned songwriter whose contest entry song ‘Some Good Things Never Last’ was composed in the 1970s and has been sung by such legends as Barbra Streisand and Barry Manilow. While the elegance of Radice’s composition and strength of his voice gave him the higher judge scores for 75% of the total vote, the other 25% was fan votes, and the Cole Alexander army came out in force to support the laid-back happiness of ‘White Flag’.




Listen to Cole Alexander "White Flag"




Listen to Mark Radice "Some Good Things Never Last"




Eireann O’Day is a solo musician from Port Coquitlam, a small town just outside Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. She not only sings on her lovely acoustic ballad “The Difference Between Us” but also plays guitar. A complete musical artist, Eireann O’Day appears certain to write many more beautiful songs in the future.




To claim the Best Song – Female Vocalist victory, Eireann survived the challenge of Tennessee singer Jasmine Zervas’ soaring spiritual ballad “Beyond the Clouds”. The Make A Star judges had this high-quality final match almost a dead heat, but Eireann O’Day’s fans came in large numbers from Canada and beyond to help her finish just a couple percentage points ahead of Jasmine.




Listen to Eireann O'Day "The Difference Between Us"




Listen to Jasmine Zervas "Beyond The Clouds"




The 3rd Best Song contests in the Male Vocalist and Female Vocalist categories will both get underway Thursday, where more new artists will get their two weeks in the Make A Star spotlight with a chance at $50 cash and the priceless prestige of joining the list of Best Song champions.

Chasing Friday Wins Best Music Video 5

The Best Music Video contest on MakeAStar.com continues to grow into a worldwide, international competition, as South Africa’s Chasing Friday follows in the footsteps of Belgium’s Lewis Cat and claims a Best Music Video title, defeating American rockers The Pink Spiders in a close and thrilling final match!




Cape Town, South Africa is a long ways from Hollywood and London, but the modern rock group has put themselves in the Make A Star spotlight and claimed a $100 cash prize with their Best Music Video victory. In a very close final, it was the strength of Chasing Friday’s fans, who came out in large numbers from South Africa and around the world in the final to vote for their exquisite video “It’s Not Like London’s Calling You”, which helped propel them over the slightly higher judge scores and devoted fans of Nashville, Tennessee band The Pink Spiders and their visually stunning video for the hard power pop song “Gimme Chemicals."




Watch The Pink Spiders and Chasing Friday videos here:


The Pink Spiders : Gimme Chemicals


Chasing Friday : It's Not Like London's Calling You

Tenaj 'What's Your Status'

The Pink Spiders and Chasing Friday in Best Music Video 5 Contest Final Match

Nashville band The Pink Spiders have their music video for Gimme Chemicals in the finals of the Best Music Video 5 contest on MakeAStar.com. Now going up against South African band Chasing Friday and their video It's Not Like London's Calling You. Fans can vote for either song all this week.

Here's a link to the videos in the contest :

The Pink Spiders 'Gimme Chemicals' for Best Music Video

Chasing Friday 'It's Not Like London's Calling You' for Best Music Video

Also promoting on digg :
The Pink Spiders Reach Final of Best Music Video Contest.
Chasing Friday in Best Music Video Contest Final.

Natalie Brown Wins Best Female Vocalist Contest

The first Best Song Female Vocalist final came to an end this week, and Toronto vocalist Natalie Brown came out on top, defeating the rock sounds of Maryland’s Corrin Campbell with the upbeat pop of her song “It’s A Beautiful Day”. While the judge votes put Corrin Campbell out to a slim lead, Natalie Brown’s legion of online fans came out in big numbers to support her entry and helped put her in the winner’s circle.

Listen to Natalie Brown "It's A Beautiful Day"